Deputy Minister of ATR: Agrarian Reform is More Than Just Issuing Land Certificates

Palangkaraya (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister (Wamen) of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning (ATR)/National Land Agency (BPN) of the Republic of Indonesia, Ossy Dermawan, has stressed that Agrarian Reform is not merely about issuing land certificates but represents a wider government endeavour to realise societal welfare.

“Many people think that Agrarian Reform means giving certificates to the community, and then the problem is solved. In fact, Agrarian Reform is more than that,” stated Deputy Minister ATR/BPN Ossy Dermawan in Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, on Thursday.

He conveyed this during a meeting of the Working Visit Team of House of Representatives Commission II Reses with local governments across Central Kalimantan.

Through Agrarian Reform, he continued, there is a reorganisation of the structure of land control, ownership, use, and utilisation to make it more equitable.

Furthermore, access is organised through social mapping, business mentoring, the formation of groups or business entities, as well as the use of appropriate, environmentally conscious technology.

“Regarding access organisation, this is often overlooked. We must not let our communities, who have received Agrarian Reform land objects, fall back into the cycle of poverty after a few years because they are unable to utilise that land,” he explained.

“We must also help with mentoring, because they do not immediately know how, for example, to use the land as collateral, or how to collaborate with other parties so that the land can be more beneficial. We do all this solely for the prosperity of the people,” he elaborated.

Through this activity, he added, it is hoped that the implementation of Agrarian Reform in Central Kalimantan can become increasingly optimal with support from all local governments.